Success Beyond The Score

In the first post of this series, we talked about health and safety. Now that we know the necessary precautions we have to take, we can talk about the main devices we are dealing with: amplifiers and mixers.

1. What is an amplifier?

Amplifiers are not unique to music. In fact, they can be found in most, if not all, electronic equipment. Their basic function is to increase the magnitude of a signal, which is itself defined as a current that varies through time. Microphones, electric instruments and digital devices feed signals to audio amplifiers and mixers, which then amplify (i.e. increase loudness)them to make them come out of speakers with the volume and characteristics that we want. 

The main difference between an amplifier and a mixer is the number of signals that each of them can handle. The amplifier is designed for only one, while the mixer can process multiple signals at the same time. Due to this, amplifiers tend to have a built-in speaker, while mixers don't.

2. Basic el...

Here is the first of seven posts in our series about amplifying devices, what they do, and how to use them. They are summaries of workshops that took place in the Time For My Music community group. You can learn more about the context in our intro post.

We are starting at the most basic, yet most important aspect of this and any type of work: safety!

1. Take care of your body.

By definition, the performing arts are physically demanding. Music too! You have to look after your health: diet, sleep quality, and fitness level all play a part.

Specifically in regard to amplifying devices, their weight can represent a risk. When deciding on what to buy for your PA system, think about how you are going to transport and set your new device up. Learn the proper form to lift heavy objects; you can do it at the gym or even through online tutorials, like this one.

If you find yourself in a situation where the weight of the equipment is too much for you, don't force yourself. There's no shame i...

It's August. Time for most people to enjoy the summer break, and for gigging musicians to get really busy. Weddings, festivals, celebrations of all kinds fill our schedule to take the best of the free time and the good weather. During this month alone, many musicians get more money than during the entire first half of the year. It's a great opportunity, of course, which can bring feelings of pressure, anxiety and stress.

It's easy to succumb to the hustle and push ourselves to the max, neglecting our health in order to fit more gigs. Doing so is a mistake that can bring consequences in both the short and long term. Remember that most health issues are easier to prevent than to cure!

Taking care of our health can look a bit different from person to person, but in general terms:

• Protect your sleep times and routine.
• Eat enough! Performing demands a lot of energy, this is not the time for diets or calory deficits (unless your doctors deem it absolutely necessary). Prioritize protein
...

June is the beginning of wedding season. To ensure that the event will go as they want, couples book most things, like venue, catering and entertainment, half a year or more in advance. Naturally, that is too early to know exactly what the weather will be like. Last month, I saw how that can become a serious curveball when I found myself on my way to perform at an outdoor wedding during the hottest weekend of the heatwave!

It is in situations like this when proper planning becomes life-saving. First of all, my contract, which we signed all the way back in September 2025, has a clause stating that the client must provide shelter from extreme weather. Although those words mostly make us think of rain, thunder, hail and snow; the increasingly hot summers have showed us how a clear sky with a bright sun can be just as problematic, if not more.  

Two weeks before the ceremony, when the forecast said that those days would be well above 30°C, I spoke with the bride to know how that contract...

As in every profession, the work of a musician involves legal and social responsibilities. If you want to build a career as a gigging musician, it is essential that you learn and follow the rules that keep the industry running safely. Don't worry, it isn't hard!

In this fragment of Millicent's free webinar, "Legal Know-Hows For Gigging Musicians", she explains two elements that will help you work safely: public liability insurance, and portable appliance testing.

We hope that this information comes in handy for your current projects. And, speaking of projects, we are working in a new, big resource that will teach you how to get your schedule filled with gigs. As part of the development of this product, we are conducting a survey about how you learn best. It takes two minutes to fill, and your input will allow us to cater to your needs in the most efficient way.

Click here to start the survey

It will be open until Sunday 21st June. Please share!

Throughout the years, Success Beyond The Score has posted resources for emerging and established musicians in all types of formats. Podcasts, booklets, videos, live webinars, in-person workshops; we have made our portfolio as wide and varied as possible, wishing to offer valuable information in ways that suit all kinds of people.

Now, in preparation for our next big resource, we want to know how you learn best. For that, we have put together a two minutes survey. If you could fill it, and also share it with other emerging and established musicians who could be interested in learning how to fill their schedule with gigs, we will be very thankful.

Click here to start the survey

It will be open until Sunday 21st June. After that date, we will put everything together and give you more information as soon as we can. Please, look forward to it!

Today, I want to tell you about an experience that one of my sax students lived recently, and what there is to learn from it.

My student posted a video of herself playing that got shared to many people. One person from those she reached liked what they saw, and contacted her to book her for an event. It sounded great, until it was revealed that the gig was in only two weeks.

Panic ensued. She did not know what to do. On one hand, she did not want to pass on the opportunity to play in public, even if for free. On the other, she did not feel ready. After consulting with family members and with myself as her teacher, she decided to go for it, playing a song she already knows well, and one she was working on. She did her best, and while she received no complaints, she ended up feeling overwhelmed and a tad regretful. She told me that she wished she could have an entire year to properly prepare. I can understand, I have been there!

Last minute gigs can open many doors, but they can also ...

One of the things that I learned in the early stages of my music career is the importance of having a sound check.

In the early stages, I would turn in at the start time of the event with my instrument, put it together while I was in my seat, go on stage when my name was called, and play. This made it so I didn't normally get the sound experience I hoped. Fast forward to today, when I arrive 90 to 60 minutes before the starting time of the performance, depending on whether I’m bringing my own PA. I make sure that my sax mic is working, that my setup is correct and that my tracks work. Then, I walk around the stage in order to identify any zones where the signal of the radio mic may drop or stutter, or where feedback could be generated.

This is how I can guarantee a good sound and therefore a good experience for my audience. To illustrate, here is a little clip of me doing a sound check before playing Kingston Town at an event this summer:

There's a saying in Germany that translates to something like, "there is no bad weather, only wrong clothing". If you are a gigging musician willing to perform outdoors, you better remember this bit of wisdom!

A few months ago, I was booked to play at a women's conference. I was directed to the garden of the building, so attendants could listen to my music while enjoying some fresh air. Now, you must know that I keep my receiver, microphone and other equipment in a hard case that protects it from collisions and the weather. Once I set up, though, my PA system is as exposed to the elements as I am. That day, once we were done and had all the equipment out, it started to drizzle. Of course, panic ensued! You just can't allow electric devices to get rained over, unless they are made waterproof (and even so, it's better not to risk it).

It was stressful, but fortunately, the light rain passed, and at the end, I could perform. Soon after, I started looking into acquiring some specialised ...

If you ask an unsuspecting person what preparing for a music gig entails, they are probably going to mention things like rehearsing the songs or making sure the instruments are in good condition. These are, of course, very important parts of the process, but they are not even remotely the only ones. 

An independent gigging musician is frequently their own agent, manager, producer, technician and stylist. Things like figuring out transportation to and from the venue are as much our responsibility as knowing how to play the songs of our set list. After all, it doesn't matter how good you are as a musician if you never arrive to your performance and no one can hear you!

A good example of this happened last Wednesday, when I took part of the civic flag raising ceremony that the Association of Jamaican Nationals Birmingham put together to commemorate the anniversary of the independence of Jamaica. I needed to bring my PA system for the event, which meant I had to use my car. Now, if you'v...